Deer photos released after return of the Greenwich Park herd
The first photographs of deer in Greenwich Park have been released a month after their return to the south-east London park.Greenwich Park's herd of eight fallow and red deer returned in May after being relocated to Richmond Park four years ago so they were not disturbed during the building and renovation of community facilities.The Royal Parks said the female deer would be more difficult to spot during the upcoming mating season.Tom Stanier, park officer at Greenwich Park, said: "The deer are shy, anxious creatures. They like privacy. They like their little safe spaces."
He added: "You have to stop and take stock of how elegant these creatures are and how wild - they're not used to interactions with humans."It's wonderful. It's such a pleasure to be able to walk through a paddock. It's reinvigorating, it's a magical experience."
The herd's new home has access to nearby woodland and the natural habitat and has been enhanced with wildflower planting "to support wildlife, including birds and pollinators", according to the Royal Parks.Several deer remain in Richmond Park to diversify the herd's gene pool.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Is it better to neglect your garden?
Gardens packed with blooming flowers or adorned with neat insect hotels, are extremely popular. But are these highly curated creations actually helpful – or would it be better to allow nature to take its own course? When she's not leading garden-based learning at Cornell University's School of Integrative Plant Science in New York, Ashley Louise Miller Helmholdt is a mum who likes to garden. She has a few different gardens on her property, as well as a patch of lawn for her son to play on where clover occasionally crops up. "I have a little plot that's just wild," she says. "I have a native plant and pollinator garden. So I have a little bit of everything." Miller Helmholdt doesn't consider herself a master gardener by any means. Still, she has "a bit of background in this" and knows that a biodiverse, native plant-based garden, even with some so-called "weeds" in it, bolsters the biodiversity in her local ecosystem. There's a lot of emphasis today on creating gardens designed to support pollinators. Pollinator populations have been declining precipitously worldwide since the 1990s due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. The US Western Monarch butterfly population, for example, dropped to just 9,119 individuals in 2024, the second lowest count since records began in 1997. Expanding lawns and a lack of native flowers in urban and suburban areas are doing them a disservice. Even a small, pollinator-friendly wildlife garden on your property can help revive pollinator populations in your area. "Gardens, backyards, community gardens, school yards, parks, we have this incredible mosaic of green spaces scattered across the country that can help bring habitat back into our neighbourhoods and communities," says Matthew Shepherd, director of outreach and education for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Oregon. But what's the best way to go about this? As beautiful, pollinator-friendly gardens pop up across the globe, with neat "bee hotels" attached to fences and immaculate patchworks of wildflowers, some experts are questioning whether this is truly what wildlife needs – or if a bit more neglect could be more environmentally supportive in the long run. The leaves of many so-called weeds are food for insects at different life stages, while heaps of messy debris provide vital habitats – should we really clear these things away? A new approach As it happens, creating a wildlife garden doesn't just mean planting flowers that provide nectar and pollen. A true wildlife haven offers a year-round habitat for local species, and this may translate to letting areas of your green space get a little messy. "There's new excitement about supporting the full annual cycle of insects," says Desirée Narango, a conservation biologist at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Vermont. This doesn't just mean the plants that they need for food, for example, but also where they spend the winter, she says. "We want to support everything that these insects need to have sustainable populations, because then they can be more resilient against the myriad of other things that they have to deal with out there," she says. Narango lives in rural Vermont, and her entire backyard is a meadow of native plants that basically takes care of itself. "We have a beautiful, pristine habitat all around us that's sourcing a lot of really amazing native plants, and so I don't have to do anything, because they're dispersing into that area on their own," she explains. She does have to remove dandelions from time to time to keep the non-native, invasive species from getting a foothold, but she picks her battles. "There is evidence from North America and Europe that native plants support a greater variety of species than non-native plants," says Shepherd. Having some non-native plants in the mix can also support pollinators by increasing the nectar supply, as long as they're kept in check (invasive species have a proclivity for taking over and wiping out less hardy native species). Narango's scenario, however, is not what you'll find in the typically suburban backyard where turf often reigns supreme. If you're hoping to create a wildlife garden in this environment, you'll likely need to remove what's there and start from scratch to give native plants a chance to thrive, says Miller Helmholdt. "If you're starting from scratch, you'll be getting rid of some of those weed seeds in the seed bank that aren't going to be great." She recommends tilling the soil a few times to remove weed seeds in the soil so they don't all germinate and compete with the native species you plant. A moment for weeds Despite their reputation, so-called 'weeds' in a garden or lawn serve a purpose in supporting pollinators. A 2016 study found that increasing the amount of white clover in the UK would help significantly with increasing the amount of nectar available to pollinators. Meanwhile, stinging nettles are known to support over 40 species of insects in their native range across Europe, parts of Asia and North Africa. Considering that, it might seem counterintuitive to constantly remove these plants if you're trying to promote biodiversity. But Narango says there's a catch. Outside their native range, Narango explains that so-called weeds such as clover and dandelions mostly just support generalist species of insect – pollinators which aren't picky about which flowers they visit. "…they're not really supporting specialist species, vulnerable species, or species of high conservation concern. That's where you need the native [plant] species," she says. That said, in some areas, white clover is native and therefore not considered invasive. "If you live in an area where clover is native, it's a very different story than if you're in an area where it's non-native," says Narango. You don't need to go entirely native Turning your entire plot into a wildlife garden is a boon for biodiversity, but it's not an attainable goal for everyone. According to a recently published study Narango co-authored, converting at least 70% still makes a notable difference. It considered the impacts native and non-native landscaping have on food availability for birds (largely insects), and found non-native plants do reduce insect count, which ultimately impacts bird population growth. But there's a silver lining: "We were able to identify a threshold so that we could provide targeted [non-native plant] goalposts for people to strive for," says Narango. The researchers found that if more than 70% of your garden's biomass is native, that allows birds to sustain their populations. Doing less with your garden and letting things get a little messy, especially during strategic times of year, such as early spring, can help to protect emerging wildlife. For example, the international campaign No Mow May encourages people [in the Northern hemisphere] to stop mowing for the entire month of May, to allow plants to bloom and set seed without being flattened or decapitated. However, Susannah Lerman, a research ecologist for the United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Northern Research Station and adjunct professor at the University of Massacresetts in Amherst, US, prefers the term "Slow Mow Summer". Her research on the effects of mowing frequency found that mowing less in general leads to more flowering plants and therefore more bees. "A lot of [pollinators] are ground-nesting bees, so actually not mowing until April or May is a good thing, because it allows them to come out of their winter nesting grounds. So, there are benefits to a little bit of neglect," says Miller Helmholdt. What if you just do nothing? There are benefits and challenges to letting your garden go completely. For one thing, in the absence of human intervention, the most aggressive, non-native species have an opportunity to take over. "When you have hyper-aggressive plants, that's the enemy of diversity, because they outcompete a lot of what could have been there," says Larry Weaner, an ecological landscape designer and founder of Larry Weaner Landscape Associates Designs, based in Pennsylvania. What you're left with is a more homogenised garden, which is not great for native pollinators who might be struggling to sustain their population. "You might get an overabundance of some weedy species that might look like they're good for bees, but in reality, are not doing very much," says Narango. Shepherd says the result could be a "tangled mess" that "will provide some food and shelter, but I'd expect its overall value for wildlife will be less than if it were a tended plot supporting a greater diversity of native plants." However, there are totally neglected landscapes that have seen wildlife proliferation. Some so-called brownfield sites – areas of land that previously had a commercial or industrial use – such as defunct and derelict factory properties, are now home to endangered species in the UK. This includes the distinguished jumping spider, which enjoys salty, sandy environments, and is found at just two locations – both brownfield sites near London. Though brownfield sites were never managed gardens, they demonstrate how, when properties are just left, "there were lots of opportunities for plant communities to reoccupy the sites," says Shepherd. Similarly in the US, Detroit's industrial decline led to a multitude of abandoned sites that now teem with wildlife. While experts recommend doing a little less mowing and pruning in the spring and summer, it's also recommended to let some things pile up in the autumn, specifically leaves. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a non-profit organisation focused on the conservation of invertebrates, promotes an initiative called Leave the Leaves that advocates for this to protect insects that overwinter on your property. More like this:• The alien shrub that can't be stopped• The beautiful flowers that bees can't use• What is 'low-carbon gardening'? "[You shouldn't] take the rake and the leaf blower and cut down all the dead things, especially under trees, and in your meadow areas, because a lot of insects are overwintering in those dead stems and in that leaf litter," cautions Narango. Take the luna moth. In its caterpillar stage, the insect drops from a tree in the hope of finding a safe place to pupate. A leaf pile or a small native garden can provide this "soft landing", a term coined by the pollinator conservationist Heather Holm. "If all [the caterpillar] finds is compacted soil and lawn, it can't do anything. It's dead. It didn't matter that you even planted the tree [as far as the insect is concerned]," says Narango. Meanwhile, other pollinators benefit from slightly different forms of neglect. "The majority of bees nest underground, so leaving areas of bare or unmulched soil [without a covering of compost, leaf mould or wood chippings to suppress weeds or retain moisture] is important," says Lerman. "Other species are pith-nesters, so leaving dead plants in the yard is beneficial since bees (and wasps) either excavate or use existing tunnels in the spongy inner part of stems. In general, less intensive management of our yards can benefit a whole suite of species," she says. Starting a pollinator garden If you're ready to start a pollinator garden, Narango suggests first taking a look around your property and seeing what native species you already have. Narango recommends using a plant-identifying app to take photos of plants and insects to learn about the present ecosystem. Once you get a sense of what's there, she recommends going to a plant nursery specialising in selling native plants. "Many of these nurseries also sell plants that they can guarantee don't have systemic pesticides," she notes. If you're specifically hoping to attract native bees, Miller Helmholdt explains that you might want to research which flowering plants the native bees in your area like the most. "In New York, [for example], there are over 90 native bees, and each one has specific flowers that they're attracted to," she says. You can even create a bee lawn, a specific grass mix that won't grow tall but has flowers that will attract pollinators, in case you're worried about any residential rules in your area. "Many cities in the US have weed ordinances, and many homeowners' associations have landscaping rules that are often restrictive and at odds with a wildlife garden," says Shepherd. Shepherd says that making wilder gardens can help to expand the area of usable habitat and directly contribute towards the recovery of insects. "If you do it, your neighbour, your friend in the next block, incrementally, we can create a patchwork of habitat that will collectively transform our landscapes," he says. -- For essential climate news and hopeful developments to your inbox, sign up to the Future Earth newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Average age Brits meet their ‘best friend for life' is revealed in new study
THE average Brit met their best friend at age 19 – with one in 10 having had the same one since they were 10 years old. The research of 2,000 UK adults revealed 22 per cent met genuine friends for life between the ages of 11 to 15, making school the ultimate friendship factory. 3 Classrooms were the birthplace of 37 per cent of these best-friend connections, especially among Gen-Z and millennials, while 17 per cent found their forever friend on the job. Trust (67 per cent), support through tough times (53 per cent), and a shared sense of humour (41 per cent), were identified as the glue that helps best friends stay together. To mark National Best Friends Day, Nutella placed a 3.8m high and 3.5m wide ice cream tub in Potters Field Park, London, to invite pals to share a snack together. Gemma Mattison, a spokesperson for Ferrero UK & Ireland, makers of the spread, said: 'Best friends are the people we laugh with, lean on, and share life's little moments with - and that's something worth celebrating.' But remaining close isn't as easy as it once was - a third of those polled think it's harder to maintain adult friendships as they only manage to meet up with their best pals a few times a year (22 per cent). Just 13 per cent see their best friends on a weekly basis, and 17 per cent leave it as long as a year in between catch ups. And it seems busy life schedules are to blame, with 46 per cent believing it's because people are more unavailable now, so it is harder to find time to connect. Food continues to be a key ingredient to great friendships and spending time together, as almost half (45 per cent) maintain contact by going out for brunch and breakfast with their mate. According to the OnePoll study, ice cream tops the list as the ultimate friendship dessert; 27 per cent of Brits say it would be their forever go-to with their best friend, followed by chocolate cake (20 per cent) and cheesecake (16 per cent). The study also uncovered 13 per cent of adults aged over 65 have more than five best friends, whereas only six per cent of Gen Z has the same number. Almost half of the silent generation said they made their best friends after the age of 35, with one in 20 holding onto relationships from six to 10 years old. 3 3
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
From beeswax to baby wipes: how to make your leather last a lifetime
Strong, beautiful and, if well looked after, endlessly long-lasting: leather has long been a staple of many of our wardrobes. And while there are ethical and environmental reasons to consider not buying new leather, the leather items you already own (or buy secondhand) could well outlast you, so it's important to look after them properly. So, how do you make sure your favourite items – from a handbag to a beloved jacket – last so that you can pass them down the generations? The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. I spoke to experts to gather their tips and tricks for how best to clean, preserve and repair leather items, so that they keep being useful, and beautiful, for as long as possible. There are four main grades of leather. The highest are full grain and top grain, used for products such as designer handbags. Split leather is more affordable and made from a lower layer of the hide; depending on the way it has been finished, it can be smooth or soft to the touch. Split leather is generally less durable than the higher grades, but it's used for everything from shoes to clothing to upholstery. Bonded leather is essentially a composite material that contains leather fibres, and is cheaper and less durable still. The higher the grade, the longer the leather should last, says Antony Frith, owner of Shoe Healer, traditional cobblers in Doncaster. But you don't need different products or methods to look after the different kinds: 'As a rule, we treat them all the same,' he says. That may be true for most smooth leathers, but textured materials such as suede and nubuck, unusual leathers such as buffalo hide and those with special finishes need a different approach. If you're not sure what kind you're dealing with, take it to a local cobbler for advice. To remove everyday grime from smooth leather, use baby wipes, says Roque Furtado at JT Batchelor, a specialist leather supplier in London. Gently brush off any dry dust or dirt, then wipe over the leather, without scrubbing or rubbing too hard. If the grime is ingrained and that doesn't do the job, the next step is saddle soap, which comes as a bar, paste or spray. 'The spray is generally easiest to use,' Furtado says. JT Batchelor sells US brand Fiebing's, but there are plenty of others available (try Decathlon). Again, brush off dry dirt, then, using a damp cloth, work up a lather with the soap and rub gently over the leather. Rinse the cloth and wipe away any remaining foam. For textured materials such as suede and nubuck, some (including Nike) recommend white vinegar. Put a little vinegar (you can dilute and use half water and half vinegar, if you prefer) on to a lint-free cloth and clean the area gently. Or brush with a suede brush and use a dedicated suede cleaning product. For patent finishes, just use a soft, damp cloth. 'You don't need to buy the products made by the brand selling you the bag or shoes,' says Dai Rees, designer and programme director for craft at the London College of Fashion. 'It will be the same compounds and materials as any other.' Hermès, for example, sells its own glycerine soap bar for leather for £40, while Lincoln Horse Care sells a similar bar for £6.99. Whatever product you use, always test it on a small inconspicuous area first, to check it doesn't alter the finish or affect the colour, and let it dry completely before using it on the rest of the item. How often you should clean your shoes depends on how frequently you wear them, and whether you're traipsing across muddy fields or hopping in and out of Ubers in them. But keeping the leather clean, nourished and in good condition should help them last longer. Aqua Wipes biodegradable plastic-free baby wipes £1.90 for a pack of 56 at Boots£5 for 12 packs of 12 at Amazon Tesco distilled vinegar 35p for 568ml at Tesco Lint-free cleaning cloths £3.99 for five at B&Q Solid glycerine soap for shoes and leather £3.99 for 150ml at Decathlon The Scratch Doctor suede and nubuck cleaner and brush £13.95 at B&Q£13.95 at Amazon What if you get a red wine stain on a cream bag or tomato sauce on a suede jacket? Your chances of getting it out depend somewhat on the kind of leather you have. Leather is generally processed in one of two ways: vegetable tanning or chrome tanning. Chrome creates a resistant surface, while vegetable methods, favoured by high-end and sustainable brands, leave the grain of the leather more open. 'Leather that has been vegetable tanned tends to have a more natural look, with a more open grain. It weathers beautifully, but it is more susceptible to moisture or marks. Chrome tanned leather tends to be smoother to the touch,' says Frith. When red wine splashes on to a chrome-tanned bag, 'it may repel the liquid', he says. But with vegetable tanned or older leather where the grain has opened up, it's likely to stain. That said, you might still be able to save it. First, use saddle soap, then let it dry completely. 'Then you have to recolour it, and the best way to do that is with a spray dye that resurfaces the leather,' Frith says. He recommends Saphir's Tenax leather dye or Magix for smooth leather, while Saphir's Renovétine protects and revives suede and nubuck. There are no guarantees, of course, and as ever, you should test on a small section that can't be seen first. If in doubt, ask a local cobbler or professional cleaner for advice on the best approach. Saphir Tenax leather dye spray £15.95 for 150ml at eBay Magix leather dye spray £9.99 for 180ml at eBay Saphir Renovétine suede reviver spray £16.95 for 200ml at eBay£10.72 for 200ml at Amazon 'Treat leather as the skin it is,' says Sarah Spicer, shoemaker at Green Shoes in Devon. 'It needs to be conditioned and moisturised.' For smooth leather, Frith says, 'the number one rule is that hard polish is no good. You've got to use a cream. If you leave a tin of shoe polish out, it will soon dry up and crack. And it will do the same thing to your shoes or bag. Cream nourishes.' Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion Frith recommends Saphir, but there are plenty of other creams on the market. To use it, remove any dirt and make sure the shoes are dry, then apply using a soft cloth in circular motions. Rees, meanwhile, suggests using a soft cloth to apply beeswax (like this one), and Furtado recommends Chelsea Dubbin Leather Food, which has been made since the late 19th century. Apply with a soft cloth and leave overnight to sink in. Some experts recommend applying products like these whenever you clean your shoes, or once every four to six weeks. But don't overdo it, says Spicer. 'You can tell when things have been overconditioned because they feel greasy. You can be sparing.' For nubuck and suede, Furtado says a spray-on waterproofer is all you should use. Tesco and John Lewis stock Cherry Blossom shoe protector to stave off rain damage. Frith says nano sprays are 'superb'. These (such as Crep Protect) form a protective layer against moisture and oils – and might protect against stains, too. Follow the instructions on the packaging to find out how often you should spray them, as this varies. 'We sell some that recommend you spray every three to four weeks, and others that say every six months,' Frith says. If you get caught in the rain, don't dry leather by the radiator and don't use a hairdryer. Let it dry naturally, then treat it again with the right protective product. Saphir Crème Surfine shoe cream £9.75 for 50ml at eBay£9.20 for 50ml at Amazon Beeswax leather balsam £10.95 for 250ml at eBay Cherry Blossom Eco Ultra Repel £5.95 for 100ml at John Lewis Crep Protect £12 at Schuh£12 at JD Sports The Handbag Clinic leather care kit £19.99 at Amazon Always store leather items in a clean, dry place out of direct sunlight, says Edyta Knapinska, handbag buyer at John Lewis, as it will prolong their life. Stow handbags in your wardrobe or a cupboard, inside a protective dust bag if you can. Sometimes these are thrown in when you buy a bag. If not, you can buy them (such as these ones made by Hayden Hill) to keep bags clean and dust-free. Dunelm and Ikea have a range of shoe cabinets. Sunlight is particularly damaging when leather is vegetable tanned, as it will literally tan. 'If you keep one shoe in the sun and the other in the shade, the one in the sun will end up darker.' A boot-shaper will help avoid creases and strain on the zip from being folded, while some people swear by shoe trees for looking after favourite shoes, particularly those only worn occasionally. Frith says cedar is the best wood for these – it absorbs moisture and keeps them fresh. When storing leather jackets, Frith says: 'Leather is heavy and if you hang it from one point, it will sag and lose its shape. So use a sturdy hanger, not a coat hook.' Look for broad, rounded ends to keep the shoulders in shape, like on this one from John Lewis. For long-term storage of leather jackets, Frith recommends first airing well (that can be outside, or anywhere air circulates, just not in a wardrobe), then hanging the jacket in a zip-up polythene garment bag. 'Leather takes in moisture from the air and even from our bodies when we use it every day. But when you put these things away for a long time, the leather can dry out,' he says. 'A polythene zip-up bag, like those you get from the dry cleaners, or even just a big polythene bag, will control the airflow. It won't be completely airtight, but it will keep some moisture in and protect the leather from drying out.' Eloise sliding shoe storage cabinet £63.20 at Dunelm Dasco boot shaper £18.50 at Charles Clinkard Suit hanger £8 at John Lewis Moth-proof garment bag £12.22 at Amazon Secondhand leather often has a wonderful patina and lived-in quality. But vintage leather can need a bit of love to bring it back to life. Charity shops and online stores such as Vinted and Vestiaire Collective are great hunting grounds for preloved leather jackets, bags and shoes, but check that a piece is not beyond repair before you buy, says Frith. 'It's much harder to restore and renovate old, worn or damaged leather than it is to take care of leather that is still in good shape,' he says. 'Where possible, check for signs of dryness or cracking. The leather on a briefcase or secondhand handbag might have survived well, but the cotton stitching could be deteriorating. So, when you're buying anything at all, it's good to stress test the leather and the stitching. Because you might find one day it just falls apart.' Pull and manipulate seams and any areas that look a bit tired, to make sure there are no signs of disintegration. For online purchases, where you can't hold the item in your hands, ask sellers to provide closeup photos of the areas that are most prone to cracking or strain – seams, straps or handles, zips and creases. If you decide to buy, look after the item well and you'll be able to enjoy it for a long time to come. Sandra Haurant is a journalist who has been writing for the Guardian for more than two decades. One of her favourite things is speaking to experts with a real passion for what they do, and pouring their knowledge into articles. Another of her favourite things is her dog, who has long hoped she will pitch a piece on pet spas
